Auto burglaries skyrocket in SLO County

August 9, 2013

Jesse Cornelison

In Arroyo Grande and the five cities area thefts from vehicles tripled in July prompting police to ask residents to lock their cars. More than 60 percent of the recent burglaries were from unlocked cars.

In August, Arroyo Grande police arrested three men suspected of stealing items from vehicles.

In the early morning hours of August 1, officers responding to a disturbance call on Grieb Drive and encountered Matthew Ortega, 23, of Oceano. Officers discovered Ortega was in possession of several recently pilfered items including a driver’s license and credit cards. A nearby resident told police they were not yet aware that the cards had been taken from their unlocked vehicle.

Police arrested Ortega and booked him into the San Luis Obispo County Jail for receiving/concealing stolen property.

On the morning of August 6, one day after a rash of vehicle thefts in Arroyo Grande, officers from Pismo Beach and Arroyo Grande contacted Jesse Cornelison, 23, of Los Osos and Chad Lawrence, 31, of Atascadero in connection with the burglaries.

Officers discovered property from at least 12 car burglaries in Pismo Beach, Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach at a hotel the men were staying at in Pismo Beach.

Police arrested Cornelison for receiving/concealing stolen property, as well as two outstanding felony warrants and Lawrence for an outstanding warrant with charges of robbery, burglary, and assault with a deadly weapon. The degree of Lawrence’s involvement in the thefts and receiving stolen property is still under investigation.

8 Comments

This is yet another example of people thinking that the police can prevent crime. If the totalitarian police state of East Germany during the cold war could not stop crime, what makes us think that any amount of laws and/or more police presence will stop crime here? Get real people. We must ALL take personal responsibility for our own safety and security.

The police are great at solving crimes, but really bad at preventing crimes.

The simple act of locking a car most likely would have prevented the crimes in this story. Taxing ourselves to death with the expectation that a nanny state will eventually solve all of our problems will never work. Individuals stepping up and being responsible citizens is the first step.

It’s people who don’t stop for pedestrians that keep the officers from battling more serious crimes…Just how do you propose the officers “prevent” auto theft, anyway? There’s a lot more cars than officers, and they can’t be everywhere for just that…

Well, if you completely missed the whole “sting” part of my comment, then I suppose you won’t look so foolish. However, as I said, no one was actually “in” the crosswalk (I was doing 30 mph, by the way). Do you also think it’s OK for the NSA to copy all of your phone and internet communications because it makes you feel safer from terrorism?

So the guy was standing on the curb and never set one foot into the crosswalk? The guy was just on the curb and you got pulled over? Once a foot or person steps into the crosswalk it means they are in the crosswalk. I know I was pulled over for it but did not get a ticket, I did not believe the cop, so I did my own research. Why don’t you look into the California Vehicle Code for the violation.

And for the NSA come on that is a typical tactic when you have lost a debate. My friend Roy you need to learn to debate correctly. It looks like you have egg on your face my friend. Oh, and for going 30 MPH that is what you say, is it really the speed you were traveling at? You must look at your speedometer every few seconds, maybe that is why you did not see the person in the crosswalk. Once again take responsibility and stop pointing fingers your family will have much more respect for you sir.

And to answer your off the subject question, I do not depend on the government for anything. But, I do take responsibility for my mistakes, it makes me a better person.

Obviously, bank robbers, car thefts, drug importers have declared war on SLO County. Congratulations to the hard and good work of our local law enforcement agencies who continue to combat these criminals daily. Thank you!

And yet, the AG police are stinging motorists for failing to stop when a guy stands with one foot in the gutter, and one foot on the sidewalk. Oh, that is because the State told them to.

Maybe if the State told our local police to prevent vehicle theft, we’d have them spending their expensive time doing that instead of harassing people on such trivial technicalities of traffic enforcement.

Yes, very trivial people being ran over in a crosswalk is not very important. Maybe you should slow down and pay attention instead of being in such a rush. Maybe if people obeyed the law and let people cross the the street unlike santa Maria where people get ran over killed. Arroyo Grande Police are the best keep up the good work. Roy stop blaming others and be a big boy and take responsibility!